A Bernie Sanders Supporter Used the Word "Whore" at a Rally — and Women Are Furious

Last night, Bernie Sanders supporters gave the world a taste of some old-fashioned sexism at a rally in New York City's Washington Square Park, where Sanders supporter and health care activist Dr. Paul Song talked about kicking out "corporate Democratic whores" and replacing them with "Bernie-crats."

"Medicare-for-all will never happen if we continue to elect corporate Democratic whores who are beholden to big pharma and the private insurance industry instead of us," Song said while criticizing Hillary Clinton's health care policies, according to Politico.

DemocraticWhores is the 1st? 2nd? 3rd? 100? 1,000? example of sexism by the Sanders campaign and supporters. The fish rots from the head!

I'll say this for the Bernie campaign: to date, it's become the best evidence of profound sexism among "progressive" men. #DemocraticWhores

I don't know what's worse: the fact that Bernie's surrogate used the term #DemocraticWhores, or the fact that Bernie's supporters defend it.

The term "whore" is demeaning, regardless of context. Resulting to insults doesn't help, but hurt your argument. #DemocraticWhores :/

The following morning, Sanders issued an apology on Twitter:

Dr. Song's comment was inappropriate and insensitive. There's no room for language like that in our political discourse.

But this wasn't the first time a member of the Sanders campaign hasused the term "whore" to discredit and demean Hillary Clinton, if this thread from a Sanders supporter on r/SandersForPresident is any indication. It's also not the first time so-called Bernie bros have been accused of sexist or outright abusive behavior, for that matter.

It's important to note, as a handful of sex workers have on Twitter, that the term "whore" isn't necessarily a slur in itself: in fact, many women embrace the word. But as Clinton supporters and Sanders supporters alike have pointed out, using a term that is typically used to discredit and demean women to discredit a political opponent is not OK — especially if the opponent in question is a woman.